Last updated at Wed, 28 May 2025 19:57:35 GMT
One of the most actionable sessions at the Take Command 2025 Virtual Cybersecurity Summit came directly from the field. In a panel hosted by Aniket Menon, VP of Product Management at Rapid7, security leaders from Cross Financial Corp, Phibro Animal Health Corporation, and Miltenyi Biotec shared how they’re evolving vulnerability management into a proactive exposure management strategy.
With real-world examples, team metrics, and shared challenges, the panel offered practical advice for teams ready to modernize their approach and reduce risk with more focus and confidence.
From VM to EM: A shift in mindset
Panelists agreed: traditional vulnerability management practices can’t keep up with today’s dynamic, hybrid environments. To stay ahead, security teams must shift toward continuous exposure assessment - building context around vulnerabilities and aligning efforts with business priorities.
As one attendee later shared in our post-event survey:
“Moving from vulnerability management to exposure management isn’t just a process change - it’s a mindset shift. It forces us to be more proactive.”
This takeaway aligns with broader findings from the summit survey, where 64% of respondents identified exposure management as a top priority for improving their detection and response strategies.
Prioritization requires business context
Volume isn’t the issue - context is. The panel emphasized that real risk reduction happens when teams align remediation priorities with asset value, exploitability, and operational relevance. That means:
- Building dashboards tailored for different stakeholders
- Connecting security and IT teams through shared language
- Using context to elevate urgency and drive action
You can’t fix what you can’t see
Despite tool investments, many organizations still struggle with asset discovery and visibility. In fact, 53% of survey respondents said identifying unknown assets is the most challenging part of exposure management.
As Edward Chang, Senior Manager of Cybersecurity and Compliance at Phibro Animal Health Corporation, explained during the panel:
“No one has 100% visibility. But if we can improve what we see and give that context to the right teams, we’re already ahead of where we were last year.”
The session encouraged using telemetry, automation, and unified data views to close gaps across environments.
Bridging the gap between security and operations
A recurring theme across the panel was the need for collaboration between security, infrastructure, and engineering teams. Effective exposure management doesn’t just rely on the right data — it depends on the right relationships.
Security teams must be integrated into how organizations build, deploy, and operate — not treated as a separate or downstream function. Building that alignment means treating security as an enabler, not a roadblock.
Ownership, accountability, and human risk
Beyond technology, the session also addressed ownership and accountability. Security leaders must not only flag risk — they must clearly assign and communicate responsibility. As attack surfaces expand and teams diversify, the ability to coordinate across functions becomes even more critical.
Watch the full panel on demand
If you're looking to strengthen your vulnerability management program or build a more proactive exposure management strategy, this session offers a roadmap shaped by real-world experience.
